Gas-fired barbecue grills have experienced a tremendous growth in popularity since their introduction. Most such grills are characterized by a rectangular box-like structure with a hinged lid and a burner mounted in the bottom of the grill casting. The burner is connected to a gas supply line and is used to heat lava rock or charcoal briquettes designed for gas grills for cooking food thereover.
The grill castings are normally made of aluminum or steel and are quite durable. Certain grill components, and particularly the burners, are also made of aluminum or steel, but of a much smaller gauge. The burners are subjected to a more severe function and, as such, have a much shorter service life than the casting itself. Thus, many manufacturers have developed universal replacement burners to substitute for the original model as it becomes worn. In order for such replacement burners to fit diverse types and models of grills, even from the same manufacturer, the replacement models required adjustable seating means for stabilizing the burner against the floor of the grill. In addition many of the burners required collector boxes, which are typically appendages off of the body of the burner, that are used in conjunction with an electronic starter for igniting the gas.
Thus, where new burners are required, it is necessary to supply many more parts than are actually needed due to the diverse types of grills. The configuration of the grills, i.e., rectangular, also suffers from a lack of efficiency in that much of the casting goes unused or suffers from poor heat circulation. It is also relatively difficult to see the food being cooked with a rectangularly shaped grill, leading to further inefficiency, as the lid must be continuously lifted to check on the food being cooked.